Timeline
10 events · 1977–2019
Every event is drawn from the entries’ own development histories — a view of the content, not a second dataset. Click a designation to open its entry.
1970s
T-10 prototype first flight
Testing revealed serious aerodynamic and structural problems; performance fell short of requirements.
Prototype first flight
1980s
Redesigned T-10S first flight
Sukhoi abandoned the original design and started again. The T-10S was nearly a new aircraft, and became the production Su-27.
Enters service
Enters service
Farnborough debut
Its first public display in the West; the high-alpha manoeuvring drew wide attention.
Public debut at the Paris Air Show
Viktor Pugachev flew the manoeuvre later named after him, giving Western observers their first direct look at its high-alpha control.
1990s
NATO inherits the East German fleet
The West could evaluate and fly against the type for the first time, turning assessments from speculation into evidence.
J-11 production begins in China
The start of licensed production, from which an entire Chinese heavy-fighter lineage followed.
2010s
MiG-35 deliveries begin
A deeply upgraded variant with an AESA radar, though orders have been very limited.